Guest Article: How we can make Canberra Suicide Free
By Ben Alexander
Welcome to the 13th edition of Guest Articles, where we hand the reins of the Rag over to our community, who can write about whatever they want. The only requirement is that it strengthens our community or helps us achieve our goal of making Canberra suicide-free. This week, we hear from
.How we can make Canberra Suicide Free
I believe we can make Canberra suicide-free. Each year, about 60 people take their life in the ACT, which is 60 too many.
While it’s daunting to think about saving all those lives, I've seen and heard how our community is already making a difference. And although a suicide-free Canberra is not probable, it is possible, which means we should give it a red hot crack.
Because even if we save one more life, it’ll be worth the effort.
Here’s how I think we can make Canberra suicide-free:
1. Get 140,000 Canberrans to complete mental health first aid training.
It’s unrealistic to expect everyone in Canberra to join group runs, even though we know it’s great for mental health. Fortunately, I don’t think we don’t need to. Just like CPR and defibrillators have reduced heart attack deaths, we can save lives by upskilling a large portion of the community in Mental Health First Aid, who can then better support those around them.
If more Canberrans can:
- Spot someone who’s struggling, and
- Convince them to seek professional help,
I think we’ll make a huge impact. And research shows that when 25% of a population adopts something, it becomes the norm and the rest eventually join in, so long as the training is fun and accessible.
So with Canberra's population expected to be 550,000 by 2033, 25% is 137,500. So, let's aim for 140,000, which I reckon is achievable in 9 years if we start now.
2. Normalise seeking help.
Legendary NRL coach Tim Sheens said, “It’s not mental health, but the failure to seek help that can be devastating.'' This resonates with me because I struggled most when I thought it was weak to get help.
But seeing a psychologist helped me understand I'd developed some negative thought patterns, and gave me tools to deal with them. And as a community, the more of us that open up about the times we got help, the more others realise that it's normal and nothing to be ashamed of.
Everyone has rough patches, and NO ONE has all the answers. And that’s ok.
3. Build belief and friendships by sharing stories.
Breeny and I have been told that R4R has helped save lives, which fuels our belief that a Suicide Free ACT is possible. But we need more people to share their stories, as hearing them will make others believe it’s possible too. And sharing stories not only builds belief, but also creates strong friendships and genuine “I got your back” friends.
Modern life means we have more connections than ever. But I feel we often value them over deep, supportive friendships. My time with the Brumbies was filled with great friends who always had my back, and finding that kind of support in retirement has been tough.
But Breeny and others have become those kind of friends to me, which is why I feel so committed to the goal of R4R. Now, we need to help more people feel the same when they rock up on a Wednesday night.
4. Have fun.
Making Canberra suicide-free will take time, and we risk burning out if we don’t enjoy the journey. Breeny and I have nearly burned out a few times, but as long as we have fun along the way (like the City2Surf trip) and we celebrate our successes (like the Birthday and Gala), I'm confident we'll have the energy to keep going. Plus we must always enjoy each other's company, and deal with any issues immediately if we don’t.
So, if we:
Help 140,000 Canberrans get Mental Health First Aid Training
Normalise seeking help
Share stories of success and struggle
And have fun along the way...
I think we're a shot of achieving what we've set out to do.
We’ll also need to partner with many organisations, as achieving this requires a Canberra-wide effort.
I also want to reiterate this is just my thoughts on how we could go about making Canberra suicide free.
But what do you think? See any holes in the plan? And what do we need to do to make Canberra suicide-free by 2033?
You know something we don’t, your message will resonate with someone we can’t, and your article will set an example for others to follow. If you’d like to write a guest article, please click on the link below… and if you think you’re opinion isn’t worth hearing… with all due respect… you’re wrong.